20 • October 14, 2021 - October 20, 2021
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
AmNewsFOOD
A Tree Grows in East Harlem By EILEEN BARETT Special to the AmNews, @AromasBakery As I made my way through the Jefferson Gardens on 2nd avenue, I heard someone say, “We’ve got a beautiful day for planting, and once we plant trees together we are friends for life.” The self-declared “TreeEO” and co-creator of The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, Cem Akin, was welcoming the group of volunteers to the final planting of the calendar year. This event was made possible by the collaboration between Vitafusion Fruit Tree Project and Concrete Safaris. The day began with the ceremonial planting of a pear tree at the entrance of the garden followed by a detailed demonstration and tutorial on how to properly plant a tree. Volunteers worked in teams to dig the holes, release the young trees from the containers in which they were grown, plant them, and cover the planted trees with protective mulch. Once the hard work was complete, the trees are now left in the hands of par-
(Eileen Barett photos)
ticipants of the Concrete Safari, ages 7 through 24, who will care for the garden and its crops throughout the year; by next summer, Jefferson Gardens will have its first crop of blueberries and blackberries.
So how does a vitamin company end up planting trees? I caught up with Michael Vercelletto, the marketing director of Vitafusion Gummy Vitamins. He said, “It’s simple. We believe in delicious nutrition for all, and we get involved where there is a disparity for access to delicious nutrition.” While it will take two to three years for the apple and pear trees to bear fruit, these trees will feed the neigh-
borhood every June to October for generations to come. It looks like my years of heading up to the Hudson Valley for apple and berry picking will soon be a thing of the past.
Join me for a virtual cooking session on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate the American Culinary Federations Childhood Nutrition Day. Register for free at http://bitly.ws/hbfv.
Pop up a celebratory snack (Family Features) Popcorn lovers rejoice: October is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, a seasonal celebration of one of America’s oldest and most beloved snack foods. As farmers head into the fields to harvest crops, families and friends gather to enjoy this fits many moods and occasions. ever-popular treat. Whether it’s prepared on the Pop up a bowl and join the Popcorn Poppin’ Month stovetop, in the microwave or ready to eat from the celebration with more recipes at popcorn.org. bag, Americans consume 15 billion quarts of this whole grain each year. Toffee Almond Chocolate Popcorn Celebrated for its seed-to-snack simplicity, popTotal time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling corn is also non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, sugar- time free and naturally low in fat and calories, which Servings: 4 makes it an easy fit for dietary preferences—and it’s budget-friendly. 4 cups popped popcorn Add in popcorn’s irresistible smell, taste 3/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, divided and versatility, and it’s easy to understand 6 tablespoons toffee bits, divided its popularity. With so many different ways 6 ounces milk chocolate, melted to eat it—plain, butter y or loaded with good1 ounce dark chocolate, melted ies like these Toffee Almond Chocolate Popcorn or Churro Popcorn versions—popcorn In large bowl, toss popcorn, 1/2 cup almonds and 4 ta-
blespoons toffee bits. Drizzle with melted milk chocolate; toss until well coated. Transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with dark chocolate; sprinkle with remaining almonds and toffee bits. Refrigerate about 30 minutes, or until set; break into clusters.
Substitution: Use dark chocolate for milk chocolate, if preferred. Churro Popcorn Servings: 2-3 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter 6 cups popped popcorn
In small bowl, mix granulated sugar, powdered sugar and cinnamon. In small saucepan, melt butter; stir in 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar. In large bowl, toss popcorn with cinnamon butter until well coated. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cinnamon sugar; toss to coat well.
Tips: For spicy variation, add 1 teaspoon spicy chipotle seasoning. Serve with hot chocolate. Family Features
